Defining Moments
by GorimJr
Summary: The defining moments in the relationship of Tonks and Lupin, from their meeting to their heartbreak to their marriage to their baby to their deaths. Some content may not be precisely as in the book. Please read and review.
1. Mamma Mia

**My first Remus/Tonks fic. There will be more, and each is a defining moment in their relationship. This is when they meet. Next will be when Tonks admits she likes likes Lupin. Please read and review!**

"Remus, this is my second cousin, Nymphadora Tonks." Sirius motioned towards the woman standing next to Moody in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. The Aurors were being introduced, and there was much hand-shaking and greetings.

Lupin smiled at the young woman. She was a sight to behold, practically radiating wonder and good-cheer, with a ponytail that was lollipop green and brightly colored robes. She turned at the sound of her name and grinned at him.

"Wotcher!" She chirped as they shook hands. "I'm Tonks. Don't call me Nymphadora, unless you want trouble." Her tone was a strange cross of cheer and seriousness.

"Well, I'm Remus Lupin, and I have no preference to which you use," he said. Tonks laughed.

They began to chat, and Lupin, out of the corner of his eye, saw Sirius grin in a decidedly dangerous way, eyeing them both.

"You know, Tonks, I don't think green is really your color." Sirius said suddenly. Lupin frowned disapprovingly at him, but Tonks didn't look at all offended.

"Really? You know, I thought so to," she said, peering into a cracked mirror. She turned to Lupin questioningly. "What do you think?" Lupin was very confused. "Pink, maybe?"

"Um, sure?" He said slowly. Tonks nodded and then had a look of profound concentration. A moment later, her hair was bright pink.

Lupin stared in shock as Sirius's laughter filled the room.

"Oh, Remus!" He snickered. "You should see your face right now!" Now the others were looking over at them, wondering what was happening. Lupin struggled at amazement and embarrassment.

"You're a Metamorphmagus!" He said as he smacked Sirius upside his stupid, giggling head. Tonks grinned.

"Yup. Comes in dead handy too! I didn't even have to study for the Espionage portion of the Auror tests! Instant perfect!" She beamed in remembrance, then her face fell slightly. "Kind of made up for the Stealth fiasco…" Before Lupin could ask about any type of fiasco, stealth-based or otherwise, Tonks gasped. "Oh! I was supposed to get-!" She winced as Moody looked over sharply, then whispered. "I was supposed to get these papers from work! Crap, I forgot. I have to go!" She said good-bye to the room in general.

"Here. I'll walk you to the door." Lupin said politely, and Tonks beamed.

"Thank you," she said.

"Such a gentleman." Sirius said teasingly so only Lupin could hear. Lupin turned and smiled.

"I may be polite, but I can still beat you up." He said, leaving Sirius in stitches as he followed Tonks to the stairs. They walked in somewhat awkward silence before Lupin said, "Well, it was very nice meeting you."

"And you," Tonks said as they walked down the hall. Suddenly, she stumbled, nearly falling over.

"Are you alright?" Lupin asked, surprised.

"You want to know what happened with the Stealth fiasco?" She asked, straightening, her hair going from pink to slow, blushing red. "That. That pretty much summed it up." Lupin grinned, then both of them started laughing. They finally reached the door, and he opened it for her. She blushed, thanked him, and left, leaving a faint, nice smell behind.

Lupin smelled it, and blushed._ Coconuts._ Shaking his head, and thinking to himself, _You must be going insane…_ he turned, and nearly ran into a grinning Sirius Black.

"You know," the dark haired one said as Lupin clutched his chest, looking a bit wild. "If you decided to ask her out, I wouldn't say no." Lupin turned, practically snarling at his friend.

"First of all," he gasped. "Never do that again." Sirius snickered. "Second of all, I'm not going to ask her out." He stomped past his gaping friend.

"Why? She not cute enough for you?" Sirius asked, catching up to him.

"No…"

"Not funny enough? Smart enough?"

"No, that has nothing to do with it!"

"Then why won't you get a damn life?" Sirius snapped. The werewolf turned to glare at Black, who glared back defiantly.

"Because I'm a _werewolf._" Lupin said, as though it was blindingly obvious. "Besides," he smiled. "I have you, don't I?"

"NO!" Sirius wailed. "I am NOT a replacement woman! And neither of us are gay; I know this for a fact!" Lupin turned, staring at Sirius blankly. "I know _I'm_ not gay, and I've seen you stare at women." Lupin held his head in his hands. "No, no. Don't be embarrassed. It actually makes me feel better when you do. I've come to the conclusion that you're merely a metrosexual."

"Stop it!" Lupin snapped. "I'm not asking her out, and that's final!"

"Well, what if she asked you out?" Sirius asked. "What would you say?" Lupin stopped, then thought about it.

"She won't. Why would she?" He asked.

"Well… As guys go, I suppose you're fairly good looking, if kinda old." Sirius said sagely. "You're nice, funny, polite. You a woman's dream come true!" Lupin frowned. "Any lady would be lucky to have you."

"I'm not asking anyone out. Period, Sirius." Lupin with finality. Sirius sighed.

"Wow, Remus. You're one of a kind." He said sadly, and walked past him and back into the kitchen. Lupin watched him, then sighed.

"Good thing too," he muttered. "Otherwise the human race would die out."

**Them meeting with Tonks tumbling down the stairs seemed a bit overdone to me, but Tonks is so clumsy that I had to put SOMETHING in.**

**The last line is from The Big Bang Theory. I love that show...**


	2. White Horse

**This was originally totally different. I had the idea of her asking him out before Sirius died, and then after Sirius died. The first one was okay, but then I started this and it was thrown out. And the second one was like Tonks cornering him after his best friend died. Kind of in bad taste. So then this happened. I'm very happy with it.**

**madge622: Thank you for being my first review! I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you enjoy this one, and the next!**

Lupin stood in the cold, empty halls of Grimmauld Place, leaning against the wall, staring into space. This was hardly a good spot to do so, but under the circumstances, there weren't many places to choose from.

His brain tried to absorb the pure, undiluted horror of the previous day. The Battle of the Department of Mysteries had barely been a success. The only good thing out of it was the fact that there were no casualties among the children, only injuries.

A swift sliver of cold went through his heart as he remembered Sirius' death. And holding Harry back, the boy screaming desperate denials of the harsh, unfair reality. He took in a deep, shaky breath and sighed. There would be no easy way to get past this. For the Order, for Harry, and for himself. The loss of Sirius was detrimental to everyone, in it's own way.

But now was not the time to dwell on that. It would be destructive to linger on that painful memory and let it take over. Now was the time for action; for moving on and forward. The memory, horrific as it was, became fodder for the passion to stop the Death Eaters, and Voldemort, and Lestrange. That was three friends she'd taken from him, the Longbottoms and Sirius, and she'd tried a fourth. Tonks

The passion to stop them all became a fire for vengeance, which wasn't what he planned. As of that moment, nothing would have made him more happy than seeing Bellatrix Lestrange thrown back in Azkaban. Or dead. Either one.

Surprised at his uncharacteristic rage, he shook his head and wondered whether or not that rage came from the murders (or worse) committed by Bellatrix, or the attempted one.

Tonks was still in the hospital, after receiving a few curses and several broken bones from her long fall down the stone steps. Last he'd seen her, they'd told him she'd be fine, though her face and hair had been the color of parchment.

He turned, startled, at a sound from the front door, and Tonks walked in, bandaged and bruised, but otherwise fine. Her hair had returned to it's original bubblegum pink, as it had been changed to when they'd first met (she always went back to it, no matter what), but her smile was sad.

"Wotcher, Remus." She said sadly. He nodded, smiling slightly. She stood next to him, leaning against the wall, hands in her pockets. "I'm sorry." Remus was slightly surprised.

"For what, Nymphadora?" He called her by her first name by accident, but she didn't seem to notice, or care.

"I could have stopped it. If I'd been able to hold her back a while longer." She said shakily. Lupin blinked; the thought hadn't occurred to him, and now that it did, he didn't like it at all.

"Don't talk like that," he said kindly and quickly. "It wasn't your fault; Bellatrix is a master duelist. It's foolish to blame yourself." Tonks said nothing. Lupin watched her sadly; he'd never been very good at comforting people, at least not in his opinion.

Against his better judgment, he put his arm about her shoulder. At his touch, she sobbed and pressed her face into his chest, her hands at his shoulders. He stood stiff and shocked for a moment, his arms reaching out slightly. Then, slowly, he put them around her, holding her a bit closer.

They stood like that for a while, the pictures sniggering until Lupin glared so fiercely at them that they retreated from the hall. After a certain amount of time, Lupin realized that they'd been standing there for a while. And that Tonks wasn't crying anymore. And, again, he became stupidly aware of the fact that her hair smelled like coconuts.

He gently pushed her away, his hands on her shoulders. She looked up at him, and it didn't take more than a moment to see the feelings in those eyes. Lupin found himself leaning down. And, remarkably, she was standing on her tip toes, meeting him.

The kiss lasted for the amount of time it took for Lupin to realize just what was happening. He heard the pictures poking their heads around the picture frames and giggling or making gagging noises and drew back hurriedly, embarrassed and ashamed.

She looked shocked, confused.

"What?" She asked, reaching for him. He took a sharp step back. Now she looked hurt.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly, and you could have heard a pin drop. The pictures watched breathlessly. "I can't. I'm sorry." She frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?" She asked. He shook his head.

"It's not smart. Not safe," he said. "I'm too old."

"I don't care!" She said, the roots of her hair becoming red. "That doesn't matter to me!"

"I care," he snapped. "And it matters to me!" She watched him, still. He sighed, imagining Sirius' reaction to what he was about to do. "I'm sorry." And with that, he walked past her, to the door.

As he opened the door, he caught a glance of her bright pink hair becoming abruptly dull brown, and the sound of pictures either cooing sympathetically or cackling heartlessly. He hesitated for a moment before finally walking out and closing the door.

**GO MOVING PICTURES! xD**

**For the record, this is how I imagine Remus and Tonks. I love your pictures, Ms Laerry!**

**http:// laerry deviant art .com/art/Who-Do-You-Love-39508376 (no spaces)**

**The best. Remus. Ever. Check out her gallery for more Marauder goodness. (drool)**


	3. Love Story

**This went so fast. A bit too fast. XD I'm sorry. And it's a bit short too. Again, I'm sorry.**

**howlsatthemoony: I like your name. ^ ^ Remus fan? Me too, in case you didn't notice. And I shall. There's two or three left. And maybe a few more. I dunno. Depends. I wanted to do one when Remus told Tonks that he was going to live with the werewolves, but this one seemed cooler. Maybe I'll do that one later...**

Lupin walked stiffly into the History of Magic classroom, Tonks close behind. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally, from all the fighting, pain, and loss. Dumbledore's death still weighed heavily on his heart, and Tonks' outburst hadn't helped.

It was silent in the room for a moment as Lupin turned and surveyed Tonks. She watched him with that same haunted, sad look that she'd had for nearly a year; the one that made him sad and guilty. He remembered hearing her sobbing after he told her that he would living with the werewolves and felt another sharp pang of guilt. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I know what you're going to say," Tonks said. "But let me talk for now. You're going to say that you're too old for me, which is rubbish and you know it." Remus had to admit, in his head, that that had been a rather lame reason. "That you're too poor, which is also rubbish, because it's not your fault, and that doesn't really matter." Lupin smiled slightly. "And the werewolf thing…" Lupin raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm good at making potions, and even if that doesn't work, I can barricade pretty well to." The last remark was obviously joking, and a familiar, impish smile blossomed on her face.

Lupin laughed against his better judgment, and Tonks joined in. Her brown hair suddenly was laced with bubblegum pink, a sight that made him even happier.

"See?" Tonks said, giggling. "We can do this! We're practically made for each other!" She was beaming, and her roots were bright pink. Lupin smiled sadly.

"Tonks, just because we get along doesn't mean we should ignore the facts. If the potion is even slightly off, I could seriously hurt you. I could kill you. Or take your humanity." Tonks bit her lip.

"I know. But…" she hesitated. "I love you." Lupin's smile vanished.

"What?"

"I know that it scares you," she said desperately. "But I really do want to be with you. And I couldn't bear it if one of us died tomorrow without even giving this a chance!" Lupin was still stared at her, a strange mix of feelings in the pit of his stomach. She strode forward and grabbed his hands. "Please. Just give it a chance. I know this can work if we do!" Remus stared at her, then looked at his own limp, scarred hands in her tiny, soft ones.

"It… will be difficult," he said quietly.

"I know," she said softly, gripping his hands tighter.

"And you don't care."

"No," she whispered. Lupin chuckled bit. "Please, Remus. I do love you. Truly. I wouldn't say it if I didn't." Lupin closed his eyes and laughed self-depreciatingly.

"Why would you? There's nothing-"

"That's not true!" Tonks said fiercely. "You're kind and sweet! You're calm and gentle, and you never give up on anybody! And when everyone laughs at me when I fall over, you always help me up! It's…" she stopped, bright red. "It's hard to explain."

"I understand," Lupin said, his grip on her hands tightening. He leaned down and his forehead leaned against hers. "I know. It is hard to explain." Their eyes met and she smiled. "We're not that alike, are we?"

"No. You're so sensible," she said, grinning like a child. "And I'm so not."

"Obviously. If you were, we probably wouldn't be in this situation."

"Nah. What is sensibility to love, besides an inhibitor?" Tonks said sagely.

"Why Tonks, how profound of you." Remus said with a soft smile.

"I can wax poetic when I want to," Tonks said, and suddenly it all seemed so obvious, so _right. _

"Alright," he said. "We'll try it." Tonks stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "Yes, it was that easy." Tonks burst out laughing, and with each laugh, her hair became brighter pink. He smiled, watching depression lift like a veil or a curtain, and the Tonks he fell in love with was there, grinning and giggling like a maniac, her hair bright and cheer radiating from her.

"Easy!" She laughed. "Easy he says! I've only been banging my head against a wall for a year now!" She grinned up at him, her eyes twinkling, her cheeks red. "You're such a jerk!" He chuckled.

_I love you._ He thought to himself, and surprised himself. Even frightened himself. A bit of his happiness dimmed, but then his eyes met Tonks' and he smiled again. He took her hand in his again, smiling.

"Let's go."

**OH MY GOD, BAD ENDING. D:**


	4. If I Never Knew You

**WHEEE! Wedding tiiiiime!**

**Neeps513: You're wish is my command! ^ ^**

**rose4thedoctor4eva: Really? I thought it was somewhat short. But thank you! I hope you enjoy this one! I liked writing it.**

Lupin adjusted his tie for the millionth time in the kitchen of the Burrow, trying to look half decent. This was apparently impossible, because his hair was a mess, and his dress robes were no better looking than his normal robes, and his scars honestly didn't make anything look better. But Tonks didn't mind any of that. She joked with him that his scars helped him get babes.

He laughed at the memory, which led to a happier one of Sirius and James saying those exact words to him.

"_You just need to put yourself out there, Mate," James said. "If I can get a girl, you can. You're way more of a catch."_

_It was James' wedding day, and Remus and Sirius were making sure he didn't get cold feet or do anything else stupid. They were in the Potter household, waiting for the ceremony to begin._

"_Don't be stupid," Remus snapped, though his grin kind of lessened the impact. "What woman would want to date a werewolf?"_

"_What woman would want to date a guy with scars? Come on, Remus. I can think of twenty just off the top of my head." Sirius laughed._

"_Scars get babes," James intoned. "I think it was that scar from Quidditch that won Lily over in the end."_

"_You never got a scar from Quidditch; don't be stupid." Sirius said, rolling his eyes. "And that wasn't what won her over."_

"_Yes I did," James insisted. "And you don't know. It could have been."_

"_Oh, yes. The only reason she didn't swoon at you feet was because you didn't have a scar," Sirius said sarcastically. "I think it was the fact that you stopped hexing everyone in sight that won her over. Getting hit in the head with a bludger just sweetened the pot."_

"_The bottom line is," James said, turned coolly back to the grinning werewolf. "Is that scars get babes. And you're covered with them, so the only thing that's holding you back-"_

"_There are tons of things holding me back, James," Remus said, rolling his eyes. _

"_Nah. You're just not confident enough." Sirius said, waving him off. "One day, you're gonna find a woman, marry her, have 2.5 children, and live in… Whales or something." This sent Lupin into hysterics, while James and Sirius discussed just where Lupin would live…_

Remus smiled at the memory. They'd be here, if they could. They'd be happy for him. Dora was a great woman, and they were both happy.

So why was he standing here, getting ready for his own wedding day, with such feelings of regret?

There was a soft knock at the door, and Lupin's friend, Nick, walked in.

"Hey, ready?" He asked, grinning. Nick was another Auror, and a friend of Tonks who volunteered to be the best man. He was younger than Remus, much younger, with thick black hair and bright blue eyes and a huge grin. In a way, he reminded Remus of a much younger Sirius Black.

"As I'll ever be, I suppose," he said nervously.

"Uh, hey, can I talk to you really quick? Before the wedding." Nick said. Remus frowned and nodded. They sat down in the sitting room. "Alright, now this may be a bit awkward…"

"Are you going to ask to borrow money? Because this is kind of a bad time; I'm unemployed and homeless." Remus said seriously.

"No, no. Actually… What I'm about to say, I'm not saying it as_ your_ friend. I'm saying it as _Tonks'_ friend." Nick said. Remus looked thoughtful.

"Are you still my best man?"

"No."

"… Can I still call you Nick?"

"Alright, let's just…" He gestured, and Remus nodded, grinning. "Okay, you and Tonks are about to get married, and I couldn't be more thrilled for both of you. But if you ever do anything to hurt my best friend… I will hunt you down, and kick your ass." There was a beat where Remus simply stared at the young man. Then the werewolf collapsed into gales of hysterical laughter.

The young Auror was shocked. "I mean it!" He snapped. "I'll kick your ass." This only made Remus laugh harder. "Stop laughing, it's' not funny!" Remus wiped a tear from his eye.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! That was rude," he said, grinning.

"You're parents are out there," Nick said, and Remus' smile vanished.

"What?"

"Yeah, they want to talk to you before the wedding." Nick got up and said, "Mr and Mrs. Lupin!" and strode out of the room as an older couple walked in.

His mother walked straight over and hugged him tight.

"Oh, I knew this day would come eventually!" She said happily, starting to fix Remus' hair fondly. "Just think, Charles! In an hour or so, we're going to have a daughter-in-law!" Mr. Lupin was beaming.

"She seems very nice. Perky." The old man said with a laugh. Remus chuckled.

"She is that," he said softly.

"And maybe one day, we'll be grandparents!" Mrs. Lupin squealed, clapping her hands happily and then going back to trying to fix her son's hair. "You need a haircut, dear."

"I don't have much time to go to the barber's, Mom," he said with a laugh. "Sorry."

"I suppose it's not that bad," she said, though she looked uncertain.

"Grace," Mr. Lupin said slowly.

"Sorry, sorry!" She laughed. Remus smiled. "Well, get out there, Goose!"

"And be happier!" Mr. Lupin said with a laugh, clapping his son on his back. "You're getting married. This is the happiest day of your life. Until your first kid." Remus laughed.

"Alright."

--

Remus stood in the Weasley's yard a few minutes later. It was a balmy and sweet-smelling day, and most of the Weasley's, his parents, Mad Eye, and Tonks' parents were all there. Remus felt a bit of sadness over the fact that none of his friends could be here. James, Sirius, Harry…

But then the small, assembled crowd stood, and Remus' jaw dropped slightly. Tonks had blue black hair for the occasion, and it was full and thick and tied into a loose bun. Her wedding dress was violet and had a darker shade petticoat underneath which showed, at one side, where the dress was lifted up to about the height of her hip and connected to the petticoat. She was wearing a veil over her dark hair and a low cut top with straps only just hanging over her shoulders.

Her father, a big-bellied, fair haired man walked he gently down the aisle, grinning broadly. When they reached the end of the aisle, she kissed his cheek and walked over to stand beside Remus.

"My god…" he said, stunned. "You look beautiful." Tonks beamed.

"Oh, you're just saying that," she said.

"Friends. Family. Dog." The stiff, formal wizard presiding over the service said. The final word was met with dark muttering, mostly in Remus' defense, and Mr. Lupin looked furious. Remus shook his head almost imperceptibly, and his father settled with glaring at the man threateningly. "Thank you all for being here to witness this blessed event. Due to certain circumstances, I'll cut this short. But I'm sure I speak for everyone here when I wish these two a lifetime of happiness." He nodded to Tonks, who smiled at Remus and touched his hand in comfort. She must have seen he was shaken from the "dog" comment.

"When I was younger," she said. "I wasn't exactly 'normal'. And I didn't have a normal family like most people. I always knew there was something missing. But now," she squeezed his hand. "I think I've found it." Remus smiled as Tonks' mother handed her daughter the ring, and Tonks put it on his finger.

"Dora, you're so beautiful," he said. "You're so kind, you're so generous… You're so wonderfully weird." Dora giggled. "Every day with you is like an adventure. And I honestly relish the thought of spending the rest of my life with you." Dora beamed, tears filling her eyes as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

"Alright then. Do you, Nymphadora Tonks, take Remus Lupin to be your husband?"

"I do!" Dora chirped happily.

"And do you, Remus Lupin, take Nymphadora Tonks to be your wife?"

"I do." Lupin said gravely.

"Then I know pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

**Mr Presiding Wizard is mean. I was going to have Remus talk to the Tonks family, but it got cut.**

**Next will be when Tonks learns she's pregnant and Remus leaves. That idiot. But he comes back, so it's cool.**


	5. Who Knew

**Sorry this took awhile, but I wasn't sure how to go about it. I wrote one version, then I thought it was stupid and wrote this version. The original version was in Tonks' POV for the first half, then Remus' for the second half. However, I didn't like that, but Defining Moments is in Remus' POV, not Tonks'. So I rewrote it in Lupin's POV. **

**I may put up the next one later today.**

**Neeps: Yeah? XD I borrowed that line from an episode of Friends, where the groom's best man was his dog, so the pastor felt obligated to say "Dog". XD Thanks! What comment did you mean? I'm glad you liked it, and I hope you like this one too!**

**rose4thedoctor4eva: Of course. He comes back. XD "Remember that ASS KICKING we dicussed?! HIYA!" **

**And thanks to all those who didn't leave comments, but added this story to their favorites or to their story alerts. Please leave comments, though. I feed off them in a parasitic fashion.**

Lupin strode through the warm summer storm quickly, puddles splashing up around his every step. The rain was seeping into his shoes and making his socks wet, and his hair was matted down with rain, making him irritable.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and lightning split the sky, and rain began to pour down harder onto the poor werewolf. He walked faster through the village and it's empty streets.

He approached a small, red house by the train tracks and knocked on the door. A beat passed, and then a cheery but tense voice called from behind the chipping door.

"Who is it?"

"Remus. But you have to ask the question." He said, out of his need to know his wife was safe. He'd love to get out of the rain, but if she didn't get into the habit…

"Oh… What was it again…" Remus smothered a grin. "Erm…. Oh! Right! What day were we married?"

"July 14th. A Thursday, at the Burrow. And now I ask you a question." He said it as patronizingly patient as he could, and he could practically feel Dora's anger. "What nickname did I try on our honeymoon?"

"Nymphie." As Remus opened the door, Dora made retching sounds.

"It's not that bad," he said with a laugh.

"It's horrible! Nymphie! Do you remember what I told you when you called me that? Do you remember what I did?"

"Well, for one thing, you stopped kissing me."

"Yes…"

"And you told me that if I ever called you that again, you'd turn me into a cricket and feed me to Who-Know-Who's snake."

"And now," Dora said, planting a peck on his lips. "I'm certain it's you." She turned and went over to the kitchen. "Hungry?"

While the place was cramped, and honestly only three rooms (Living room/Kitchen, Bathroom and Bedroom), Dora seemed happy enough. Remus often felt a bit guilty that she had to settle for such a place, but whenever he even remotely breached the topic, she'd immediately talk over him.

"Always," he said, smiling. He took off his sopping coat and pondered what to do with it. The floor was pretty bad without the potential water damage. Then he rolled his eyes and took out his wand. _You call yourself a wizard?_ He asked himself as he tapped the coat and then himself, drying instantly.

Dora handed him a cup of tea and a sandwich, and sat next to him on the couch. She watched as he took a bite of the sandwich, and he turned to her as he chewed.

"Yes?" He asked thickly through a mouthful of ham and cheese.

"Nothing," She said. She continued to watch as he ate, which made him a bit uncomfortable. "Something interesting happened today."

"Really?" He said sharply, turning. "What kind of interesting."

"Um… Change your whole life interesting." Dora said slowly. Remus frowned.

"Really?" He said again, more quietly.

"Yeah. You remember our honeymoon, right?" Dora asked abruptly.

"Of course… Why?"

"Well… Remus… I think I'm pregnant." He stared at her. "No, wait. I _know _I'm pregnant."

Remus stood up, staring at her in shock. Dora stood as well, watching him closely.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"What's wrong?!" He said, horrified. "What's wrong? Look at what I've done!" Dora frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"I've destroyed your life, and now that child-"

"Our child will be fine!" Dora said, shocked. "Remus, why are you so-"

"I'm a werewolf, Dora! Werewolves don't usually breed, for obvious reasons! What if that child inherited my lycanthropy!?" Dora stared at him, obviously at a loss for words. "I've done you too much harm already." Remus said quietly.

"What?" Dora stammered. "What are you-?"

"I'm leaving." Dora's pink hair faded slightly, then flared up in a fierce red.

"No." She said quietly.

"Excuse me?"

"NO, Remus!" She snapped, louder this time, tears of rage brimming in her eyes. "No!"

"I've already done too much!" Remus retorted angrily. "You're an outcast; your own family-"

"They like you!" Dora snapped. "Don't make stuff up! They like you fine!"

"What about the child?" Remus snarled. "What of the harm I've put upon him? Or her?"

"You haven't done anything! You're just guessing! You don't know!" Dora pleaded. Remus shook his head angrily.

"No. I'm going." He took in her shattered look and sighed. "I'm sorry." He turned towards the door and, as he walked out, he heard her sob.

He stepped out into the rain, feeling despicable. The rain poured down from the smoky, inky clouds above, and his head pounded. Where would he go now?

Who needed his help?

_Dora, _came a voice that sounded suspiciously like Sirius. He shook his head. Harry. That's who needed his help. He'd go to Harry and offer his hand.

With that, he pushed the heartbreaking sound of Dora's sobs out of his mind and, with a crack, disapparated to Grimmauld Place.

**Intense.**


	6. Moments

**Neeps: Your wish is my command, dahling! ^ ^**

Remus stalked angrily out of Grimmauld place, Harry's disgusted look mingling with old memories of Dora sobbing.

_I'm pretty sure my father would have wanted to know why you aren't sticking with your kid, actually._

_I'd be pretty ashamed of him._

_My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid to go on an adventure with us?_

_I think you're feeling a bit of a daredevil. You fancy stepping into Sirius's shoes._

_The man who taught me how to fight dementors – a coward._

Remus whirled around and kicked a lamp post, rage bubbling over. The harsh words kept running through his head, over and over. He limped down the street, his foot throbbing, and a thick, sick feeling of betrayal seeping into his heart.

But honestly, what had he expected? He knew Harry was wiser than most gave him credit for; he knew that he'd see through the lame excuses. The boy, the man had spoken only the truth. He was a coward, abandoning his wife and child out of fear of the future.

The horrid, sickening truth crushed him, and he felt a wellspring of self-loathing overwhelm his selfish self-pity. The sound of Dora crying invaded his head again, and he sat down heavily on a park bench with a sob. He held his head in his hands, tears trickling from between his fingers.

Had he driven away his last chance for happiness? Or was there still time?

He sat there for a few more minutes, attempting to calm down, but always breaking down a moment before true calm, and so minutes became hours. People passed him in the dark, late night joggers glancing with confusion and sympathy before passing on. Dawn broke and birds began to sing urgently. It was a cool sunrise, and gold light blanketed the park. Remus stood, wiping his eyes with his sleeve, taking several deep breaths. He'd have to make amends. He'd have to try.

He looked around to check if anyone was around before Apparating to Tonks' parents house. The place was considerably nicer than his and Dora's house, and he felt distinctly awkward as he approached.

He knocked on the door, a terrible ache of nervousness and fear settling in his stomach. After a moment, the door opened a crack, and a woman's voice said, "Who's there?"

"It is I, Remus Lupin, a werewolf, husband of Nymphadora, normally known as Tonks," he hesitated, then decided that it couldn't hurt. "Never known as Nymphie." A short laugh came from the other side of the door, and it opened. The woman standing before him didn't really look like his wife. In his opinion (and from what he'd heard, in Harry's opinion as well), she looked like her sister, Bellatrix. She looked at him with thinly veiled irritation.

"Remus," she said, nodding curtly.

"I've… Come to speak with Dora," he said slowly. Andromeda raised an eyebrow, then moved aside, allowing him to come in.

"I'll ask her if she's up for it," she said, going upstairs and leaving Remus in the living room. He sat down, looking around at the old fashioned wall paper and oil paintings.

He pondered what exactly he'd say. There wasn't much he could say, but he figured "I'm sorry," would be a good start.

"Remus?" He turned and watched his wife approach the couch, but not sit down. Her hair was deep cerulean blue, and she watched curiously as he stood.

"Dora, I… I was wrong," he said, squirming under her unyielding gaze. "I shouldn't have left. I feel… Horrid. Terrible. Please…" His vision blurred, and he wiped his eyes, feeling embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Dora."

"Remus…" She said softly. She walked closer to him and punched him in arm, hard. He rubbed it, staring in shock at his wife. She punched him in the chest. "Never." She hit his chest again. "Do that." She shoved him, and he was so stunned that he stumbled back a few steps. "Again." She reached over and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulders. "Got it?!"

"Got it." Remus said softly, rubbing soothing circle into her back.

"I was worried! I thought you were going to go off into the blue and I'd never see you again!"

Remus decided to refrain from telling her that that very nearly happened, and only kissed her forehead.

"Where's Ted?" He asked. Dora sighed.

"You've heard of the Muggle-Born Register?"

"Of course. I was telling Harry about it earlier. That and the… other propaganda." Dora nodded.

"He's Muggle-Born, but he refused to register. He's on the run."

"My god…" Remus said breathlessly.

"He'll be fine," Dora said uncertainly. "He's a great wizard, no matter what anyone says."

"I believe you," Remus said, though he was uncertain. The Snatchers had Fenrir Greyback and others on their side. While he had no doubt that Ted Tonks was a great wizard, superior numbers made a difference.

They both sat down on the couch, leaning on one another.

After a few minutes of peaceful silence, Dora said, "There's gonna be a baby soon, you know."

"I know."

"And you're okay with that?" Remus was silent for a moment.

"I'm just… Not sure. I'm not sure that I'll be able to raise a human being. The thought is frightening. I don't think I can. I'm happy that you're having my child but… I don't think I have the confidence to raise it." Dora was silent. "I mean, a person like me… Who makes no contributions to society… Do I have the qualifications to raise a child?" Fear invaded his thoughts again, and words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop. "What if, because of me, the child went down the wrong path? What if, because of me, the child was bullied? Or hurt terribly? Or lived an unhappy life?" His throat tightened. Dora considered that.

"We'll do it together." She said finally. "We'll hug it. And touch it. And hear what the child says. And if he does something bad, we'll stop him and tell him why it was wrong. We'll be very clear." Remus stared at her, feeling tears well up again. "And if one of us gets too emotional and makes matters worse, we'll apologize, and hug him tightly." She smiled at him. "Together. Like that." She reached up and cupped his cheek. "We'll raise it like that."

**I think his rant is quite in-character, if I do say so myself. It's probably arrogant to say so, but I think it is.**


End file.
